Medical imaging isotopes, such as metastable technetium-99 (“99mTc”), are used in the medical imaging of bone, liver, lung, brain, kidney, and other organs to diagnose medical conditions, including cancer and cardiac conditions. 99mTc is commonly obtained by producing molybdenum-99 (“99Mo”), which decays into 99mTc. 99Mo is currently produced in nuclear reactors outside the United States using Highly Enriched Uranium 235 (“HEU”). The base materials HEU and low enriched uranium (“LEU”) are Special Nuclear Materials (“SNMs”) that are securely controlled because they can be used to make a nuclear fission explosive device or dirty bomb, for example. 99mTc has also been produced from 99Mo in a reactor by bombarding the 99Mo with a high flux of low energy neutrons.
Because of problems with the world's supply from nuclear reactors, there is a severe shortage of 99mTc. Many nuclear reactors are at or near the end of their lifetimes and need extensive repairs. Tighter regulatory concerns are making it more difficult to keep these systems operational. Nuclear reactors are also very expensive and take many years to build. Currently, many patients who could benefit from imaging procedures using 99mTc, are either waiting in a long queue for it to become available or are not able to have these enhanced procedures performed.